Whole Roasted Chicken With Potatoes

This whole roasted chicken with potatoes is very easy to make, hearty and cozy, all time favorite for a homemade family dinner.

This post was first posted in November 2014 and updated in Oct 2018.

Roasting a whole chicken might seem like a lot of work, but I assure you this Whole Roasted Chicken With Potatoes is so worth making.

Since I’m not experienced with cooking a whole turkey, I decided to just share with you a roast chicken with potatoes recipe, that I enjoy making very often. I made this for a family dinner last week and I even managed to take pictures of it. Everyone enjoyed the perfectly seasoned and cooked meat and it took me less than 2 hours to make.

Homemade roasted chicken versus rotisserie chicken:

I know that some people feel like roasting a chicken at home is absolutely unnecessary, since you can get a whole rotisserie chicken for not a lot of money, but believe me, this homemade chicken tastes absolutely delicious.

It is moist and tender, and I’ll share with you how I make that skin perfectly crisp and edible.

Yes, if you are short on time, rotisserie chicken is a great, delicious, quick and inexpensive choice. But if you have the time to roast your own chicken you should definitely do it.

Tips to make roasted chicken with potatoes:

For meals like this Whole Roast Chicken With Potatoes, I like to make some garlic -thyme butter, and rub it under and over the bird’s skin. I also like to stuff the inside of the chicken with lemon slices, shallots (or onions) and thyme, to keep is moist and add more flavors on the inside.

Whole Homemade Roasted Chicken

My mom used to make roast chicken the exact same way, and this recipe has been tested many times. I also cook potatoes in the same pan at the same time I roast the chicken. It really saves time, potatoes absorb some of the juices that chicken releases and you only wash one pan.

I think that roasted chicken is so much easier to make than a huge turkey, so if you have some time and would like some homemade juicy chicken meat, you should definitely try this recipe.

What ingredients do I need to make Roasted Chicken with Potatoes?

Whole young chicken

salt

black pepper

thyme

garlic

shallot

lemon

oil

butter

potatoes

parsley

chicken stock

How do I cook Chicken With Potatoes?

The most quick and easy way to cook a whole chicken with potatoes is to roast them together in one pan. In this recipe I often use sheet pan for roasting, but the last time I roasted it in my dutch oven and it worked pretty good.

Preheat oven to 375 F. (190 C).

Wash and dry chicken with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper the inside and outside.

Prepare garlic-thyme butter: In a skillet over medium heat, heat up olive oil, then add shallots and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes, then remove from heat. Add in butter, thyme, parsley and lemon zest.

Using the back of a spoon or your fingers, gently separate the skin from the meat, without tearing through the skin.

Using your fingers, gently spread garlic -thyme butter under the skin and over the skin of the chicken.

Place slices of lemon, 2-3 shallots and 1-2 garlic cloves inside the cavity of the chicken and tie the legs together.

Prepare potatoes- peel and cut potatoes into 1 inch cubes. Toss in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add thyme and parsley. Add in shallots and garlic. (Shallots and garlic are totally optional, you can only roast potatoes).

Grease a baking dish or line with aluminum foil and grease over the foil. Place chicken in the middle. Add potatoes, shallots and garlic. Pour chicken stock over potatoes. Alternatively use a Dutch oven or a Braiser to roast the chicken.

Roast chicken with potatoes for 1 hour at 375 F. Take out of the oven and carefully flip chicken around. Roast for 15 more minutes, until browned and turn chicken again. Broil for 3-4 minutes, keeping an eye on the chicken and potatoes, making sure they don’t burn.

The top should be nicely browned, not burned. Cooking time will vary, depending on the size of the chicken, type of oven used, type of pan used, etc. Thermometer inserted into the breast meat should read 165 F. (74 C).

Garlic thyme butter

Instructions

Wash and dry chicken with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper the inside and outside.

Prepare garlic-thyme butter: In a skillet over medium heat, heat up olive oil, then add shallots and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes, then remove from heat. Add in butter, thyme, parsley and lemon zest.

Using the back of a spoon or your fingers, gently separate the skin from the meat, without tearing through the skin.

Using your fingers, gently spread garlic -thyme butter under the skin and over the skin of the chicken.

Place slices of lemon, 2-3 shallots and 1-2 garlic cloves inside the cavity of the chicken and tie the legs together.

Prepare potatoes- peel and cut potatoes into 1 inch cubes. Toss in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add thyme and parsley. Add in shallots and garlic. (Shallots and garlic are totally optional, you can only roast potatoes).

Grease a baking dish or line with aluminum foil and grease over the foil. Place chicken in the middle. Add potatoes, shallots and garlic. Pour chicken stock over potatoes.

Roast chicken with potatoes for 1 hour at 375 F. Take out of the oven and carefully flip chicken around. Roast for 15 more minutes, until browned and turn chicken again. Broil for 3-4 minutes, keeping an eye on the chicken and potatoes, making sure they don't burn.

The top should be nicely browned, not burned. Cooking time will vary, depending on the size of the chicken, type of oven used, type of pan used, etc. Thermometer inserted into the breast meat should read 165 F. (74 C).

Take out of the oven and let chicken cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

Cut, serve and enjoy.

Recipe Notes

Cooking time will vary, depending on the size of the chicken, type of oven used, type of pan used, etc. Thermometer inserted into the breast meat should read 165 F.

This chicken looks just perfect, I love the crispy skin! I love the idea of a garlic thyme butter, I’ve never tried that. Sounds delicious!

Thanks Stacey!

This looks divine! I love all of the ingredients you’ve listed – especially the lemon (roasted chicken with lemon is SO delicious)! This is also the prefect size for a smaller more intimate Thanksgiving – or any nice dinner for that matter!

Thanks Kathleen! This definitely works for Thanksgiving, too!

That is one pretty roasted chicken! I agree with you…roasting at home vs. buying a rotisserie is a very simple decision. They are worlds apart. Thanks for sharing your mama’s tried and true recipe! Pinned!

This roast chicken looks amazing, Mira! I’ve never cooked a whole turkey either, but this definitely looks like something I could master. I love how flavorful it is, too! Pinned!

Thanks for the pin Gayle!

Oh, Mira, this chicken looks so wonderfully golden on the top! I sometimes forget how beautifully simple a roast chicken dinner can be and don’t make it half as often as I should. Thanks so much for the butter rub recipe – love this!

Thanks Helen! If wish I made it more often, too! You can add different spices of your choice to this rub, too 🙂

She shoots, she scores! In my books, there are only 2 ways to make a truly great juicy roast chicken: either by brining or by spreading butter under the skin. This is a classic. I can see this on our Christmas table this year! Thank you for sharing Mira!

I hope you enjoy it Dannii!

I’m soo glad you shared this recipe with us Mira because have you noticed how those rostisserie chickens have gotten a lot smaller at the grocery store? They are tiny now. I need 2 to feed my family. But if I use your recipe, I can just buy one chicken at a fraction of the cost and it looks incredibly tender. What a lovely Sunday meal. And you don’t always feel like running to the grocery store and sometimes they actually run out of chickens! Have a splendid week =) Love love love that garlic thyme butter…..ready to smother my leftover turkey in it as well.

Thanks Laura! I agree on the rotisserie chickens. Glad you like this simple roast chicken recipe! Have a great week and happy Thanksgiving!

Mira this looks amazing! My family makes turkey for Thanksgiving, but the big bird is quite unwieldy and hard to finish eating unless there is a small army coming. I like your idea of making roast chicken for Thanksgiving – I’ll have to try that next year! The seasonings on this look delicious.

Roasted whole chicken is something that I haven’t challenged yet. But you’re right, it’s definitely easier to bake a whole chicken than a giant turkey. I’m not very good at making a huge dish for a lot of people, this one seems perfect for the coming holiday! 🙂

Thanks Maggie! Chicken is much easier and safer to me, definitely great for the holidays! I loved the african chicken of you blog!

This is a great recipe! I have such problems w/grocery store rotisserie chix. They claim they’re sugar free, yet glucose is listed throughout the ingredient list. As a Type 1 Diabetic, I am careful. Also, I follow LCHF (low carb hi fat). If I leave out the potatoes, will it be OK? Could add celery. Thanks!! 😎

Hi Lori, hope you like this recipe. I also follow low carb diet, but the recipe is an old one, from the time I used to eat potatoes. You can make green beans, mashed cauliflower or any other low-carb vegetable to go with the chicken. You are right, store bought rotisserie chickens often have brown sugar or glucose in them used as “preservative”. Not too good for people who can not have sugar…

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